Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Shalanda Williams.
Hi Dr. Shalanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started in the beauty industry at 17 years old, working behind the chair and learning early what it meant to serve people, build trust, and create transformation. I spent nearly three decades mastering my craft, educating others, and building a reputation for excellence—all while raising a family and navigating my own growth as a woman.
While crafting a rewarding career, I’ve always been hungry for more. Science was my first love, yet beauty was ingrained in my DNA. So while running my salon, I went back to school—again and again. I earned my MBA, then my DBA in Healthcare Management. I’m currently in pursuit of my MD with a goal of becoming a dermatologist. I blended both industries intentionally, because Black and brown communities deserve professionals who understand textured hair, melanated skin, health disparities, and culturally competent care.
Today, I’m the founder of multiple brands—Faire Belle Salon, Faire Belle Institute, LuxD Extensions, Revive Hair Oil, Hannah Publishing, and CAP Consulting—all under my parent company, Synergi Solutions. Each brand represents a piece of who I am: beauty, wellness, education, entrepreneurship, and empowerment. I teach, create, serve, and continue to push myself because I believe reinvention is a lifelong commitment.
Where I am today is the result of discipline, faith, and audacity. I’ve built my businesses while pushing through medical school. I have 9 months remaining then I’ll be preparing for residency. Furthermore, expanding a beauty empire that represents luxury, representation, and innovation. My purpose is simple: to transform lives through beauty, science, and possibility.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My road has been paved with sacrifice, setbacks, reinvention, and a level of resilience I had to earn the hard way. Building a career in beauty while going to school, raising a family, and later pursuing medicine wasn’t glamorous. I worked full-time behind the chair, studied late at night, and carried responsibilities most people never saw.
Financially, it wasn’t easy either. I put myself through multiple degrees, including medical school, without a safety net. There were times when I was juggling tuition, business expenses, and life at the same time. I’ve had to rebuild my salon brand after starting over, fund my own training, and push through moments where quitting would’ve been the more comfortable choice.
There were emotional hurdles too—imposter syndrome, walking into rooms where I was the only Black woman, navigating the biases of both the beauty and medical industries, and constantly having to prove that I belonged. Reinventing yourself repeatedly takes courage. It takes letting go of what is familiar so you can step into what you’re called to do.
And like every entrepreneur, I’ve faced the unpredictable—staffing challenges, business closures, restarts, personal losses, and the weight of carrying multiple visions at the same time. None of it was smooth, but every struggle sharpened me. It taught me discipline. It built my confidence. It made me a better leader, a better student of life, and a better woman. My journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been purposeful.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Synergi Solutions / Faire Belle Schools INC?
Synergi Solutions and Faire Belle Schools Inc. were built on one belief: beauty and science are not separate worlds—they strengthen each other. My organization houses a collection of brands and educational platforms designed to elevate beauty professionals, empower entrepreneurs, and close the knowledge gaps that disproportionately affect communities of color.
At its core, Faire Belle Schools Inc. is a career college specializing in cosmetology and esthetics education with a culturally competent foundation. We train future beauty professionals to master textured hair, melanated skin, and the unique needs of clients in our community. Our programs go beyond traditional beauty school training—we integrate dermatology awareness, wellness, business literacy, and real-world professionalism, preparing students to become income-ready and industry-leading from day one.
Under Synergi Solutions, we’ve expanded into a full ecosystem of brands: Faire Belle Salon, LuxD Hair Extensions, Revive Hair Oil, CAP Consulting, and Hannah Publishing. Each serves a different purpose, but they all share the same mission—to transform lives through education, empowerment, and innovation. Whether it’s teaching a student how to build a six-figure beauty career, helping an entrepreneur form their business, or creating high-quality hair extensions specifically for textured hair, everything we create is designed with intention and excellence.
What sets us apart is our specialization. We don’t teach beauty in a generic way—we teach it through the lens of culture, science, and entrepreneurship. Students learn not just how to style hair or care for skin, but how to understand the biology behind it, when to refer clients to a dermatologist, how to build thriving businesses, and how to carry themselves as confident, educated professionals. That intersection of beauty + science + business is our signature.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the impact. We are creating opportunities for people who often feel overlooked. We are building a pipeline of highly skilled beauty professionals who can work anywhere—salons, medical spas, dermatology offices, or their own businesses. And we are reshaping how the industry views Black and brown beauty.
For readers, here’s what I want them to know: Synergi Solutions and Faire Belle Schools Inc. are more than businesses. We are a movement. We provide education, products, services, mentorship, and pathways to generational success. We’re here to elevate the beauty industry, honor our culture, and prepare the next generation of professionals to lead with confidence, excellence, and purpose.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most important quality behind my success is audacity — the courage to believe in a vision long before it makes sense to anyone else. Audacity has carried me through every pivot, every degree, every business launch, and every moment when the road looked impossible. It’s the force that pushes me to create opportunities instead of waiting for permission.
But right behind audacity is discipline. People see the accomplishments, but they don’t see the late nights, the studying after 12-hour salon days, the sacrifices, or the relentless consistency it takes to build multiple brands while pursuing medicine. Discipline is what turns ambition into results.
I had to choose a third, it would be resilience. Life has thrown its share of challenges—financial, emotional, and personal—but I learned how to bend without breaking. I learned how to start over without losing my fire. I learned how to turn setbacks into strategy.
Together, those qualities—audacity, discipline, and resilience—are the foundation of everything I’ve built. They’re the reason I can blend beauty and science, run multiple companies, and still chase bigger dreams. And they’re the same qualities I hope to inspire in every student, client, or entrepreneur who comes into my world.
